Small novelty items, miniature toys and edible snack items are commonly sold in containers formed of a non-edible material such as plastic. Containers of this type are typically egg-shaped or round and comprise two half sections which are releasably interconnected at their peripheral edges forming a hollow interior within which the toy or other item is contained.
In addition to distributing candies and other confectionery items within containers of the type described above, a variety of food "packages" have been introduced to market and sell confectioneries. In many instances, the confectionery item is hollow and formed in a shape appealing to children, e.g., eggs or different animal shapes such as bunnies and the like.
Both of the above-described packages or containers for the marketing of toy items and confectioneries suffer from limitations and deficiencies. Plastic containers having a prize or edible product in the interior often fail to capture the attention of children, even when decorated with bright colors or distinctive designs. While hollow confectionery items often do attract attention, they can present problems of damage and waste when displayed at retail establishments. The tendency of consumers and especially children, is to handle such items causing the walls made of thin chocolate or like to collapse and thus break the product. Although hollow confectionery items can be sold in protective boxes, cartons or trays, this adds significantly to the cost of such items and reduces the novelty appeal of the product.
One attempt to solve the deficiencies of the products described above is a combination edible and non-edible product. In one design of this type, a plastic container formed of two half sections is first assembled with a novelty item or toy in its hollow interior, and then the entire container is placed within or embedded into the hollow confectionery such as chocolate. This combination product is attractive to children both because of the chocolate on the outside and the presence of a prize or toy on the inside. Additionally, since the chocolate or other confectionery layer is applied to and supported by the wall of the plastic container, the product can be handled without collapsing the thin layer of chocolate.
A perceived disadvantage of the combination edible and non-edible product described above involves a safety question, particularly concerning young children. Products of this type are sold with a foil wrapping around the entire exterior surface which is initially peeled away by the adult or child. When the foil wrap is removed, the child sees a continuous surface of confectionery material, such as chocolate, and nothing else. The plastic container is completely embedded and hidden from view by the continuous outer layer of chocolate or other confectionery. Heat is often used to melt chocolate in order to join two sections together when forming a hollow egg or other shape containing a plastic toy. Portions of this melted chocolate often adhere to the outer surface of the plastic container, and remain in place thereon when the foil wrap is removed. In order for a child to gain access to the toy or prize within the interior of the plastic container, he or she must chew or lick the chocolate away from the container's outer surface so that it can be handled for opening. It is of some concern that in the course of eating away the chocolate layer from the outer surface of the container, the half sections of the container may disengage one another allowing the child to accidentally ingest the toy or novelty item within the container interior while he or she is in the process of eating the chocolate layer.